Creative Writing Academic Certificate

Grow as a Writer and a Reader

Apply

Program Duration: Short-Term
Degree Type: Academic Certificate
Total Credit Hours: 33

Circle of students at desks writing together during class

About This Certificate

You will take literature and creative writing courses; have opportunities to interact with visiting writers; and attend readings, workshops, festivals, and other special events. Throughout this program, you will learn techniques necessary for the mastery of the craft of creative writing, improve your creative writing skills through feedback and continued revision, and gain insight into local and national resources for writers and the publication process. Our program culminates in a capstone course, Portfolio Development, which is designed to help you prepare to apply to four-year writing programs and develop manuscripts for publication.

Apply Now

Quick Information

General Contact Call (215) 751-8010

Featured Transfer Opportunities

A private university known for its diverse academic programs and global perspective, located in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

A private Catholic university in Radnor, Pennsylvania, known for its commitment to social justice and community engagement.

A private liberal arts college located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offering a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs.

A historically Black public university known for rigorous academic programs, dedicated faculty, and supportive student learning resources.

A private Christian university known for its faith-based education.

A public research university in Philadelphia, offering diverse programs and a vibrant campus experience.

View all transfer opportunities

Course Sequence

Semester 1

Course Number and Name	Prerequisites and Corequisites	Credits
ENGL 101 - English Composition or ENGL 101H - English Composition I (Honors)		3 credits
CIS 103 - Introduction to Information Technology		3 credits
Social Science Elective		3 credits
ENGL 205 - Creative Writing		3 credits

Semester 2

Course Number and Name	Prerequisites and Corequisites	Credits
Literature course	ENGL 101 must be completed prior to taking any literature courses except for ENGL 190 where ENGL 101 and ENGL 190 may be taken concurrently.	3 credits
ENGL 102 - The Research Paper or ENGL 102H - The Research Paper (Honors)	ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better	3 credits
FNMT 101 - Quantitative Reasoning or FNMT 118 - Intermediate Algebra or higher	For FNMT 118: FNMT 017 or FNMT 019 completed or FNMT 118 (or higher) placementSome colleges and universities require a mathematics course above FNMT 118. Students who are FNMT 118 ready may take MATH 137 or MATH 150 instead of FNMT 101. Students who are FNMT 118 ready who wish to transfer to Temple University should take FNMT 118, which is the prerequisite for MATH 161. Students with a math placement score above FNMT 118 should take MATH 161 or a higher-level math course. Please visit the transfer agreements web page for more information and consult with an advisor when selecting a quantitative reasoning course.	3 credits
Directed Elective - Select one of the following: Literature course or ENGL 137 - Introduction to Theater (ENGL 137 recommended for students taking ENGL 282)	ENGL 101	3 credits
Select one of the following: ENGL 280 - Poetry Writing or ENGL 281 - Fiction Writing or ENGL 282 - Scriptwriting or ENGL 283 - Nonfiction Writing: Memoir and Literary Journalism	For ENGL 280, 281, 282: ENGL 205 For ENGL 283: ENGL 102 or ENGL 205	3 credits

Semester 3

Course Number and Name	Prerequisites and Corequisites	Credits
Select one of the following: ENGL 280 - Poetry Writing or ENGL 281 - Fiction Writing or ENGL 282 - Scriptwriting or ENGL 283 - Nonfiction Writing: Memoir and Literary Journalism	For ENGL 280, 281, 282: ENGL 205 For ENGL 283: ENGL 102 or ENGL 205	3 credits
ENGL 285 - Portfolio Development	Two of the following: ENGL 280, 281, 282, 283 one of which may be taken concurrently	3 credits

Semester 1

Course Number and Name	Prerequisites and Corequisites	Credits
ENGL 101 - English Composition or ENGL 101H - English Composition I (Honors)		3 credits
CIS 103 - Introduction to Information Technology		3 credits
Social Science Elective		3 credits
ENGL 205 - Creative Writing		3 credits

Semester 2

Course Number and Name	Prerequisites and Corequisites	Credits
Literature course	ENGL 101 must be completed prior to taking any literature courses except for ENGL 190 where ENGL 101 and ENGL 190 may be taken concurrently.	3 credits
ENGL 102 - The Research Paper or ENGL 102H - The Research Paper (Honors)	ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better	3 credits
FNMT 101 - Quantitative Reasoning or FNMT 118 - Intermediate Algebra or higher	For FNMT 118: FNMT 017 or FNMT 019 completed or FNMT 118 (or higher) placementSome colleges and universities require a mathematics course above FNMT 118. Students who are FNMT 118 ready may take MATH 137 or MATH 150 instead of FNMT 101. Students who are FNMT 118 ready who wish to transfer to Temple University should take FNMT 118, which is the prerequisite for MATH 161. Students with a math placement score above FNMT 118 should take MATH 161 or a higher-level math course. Please visit the transfer agreements web page for more information and consult with an advisor when selecting a quantitative reasoning course.	3 credits
Directed Elective - Select one of the following: Literature course or ENGL 137 - Introduction to Theater (ENGL 137 recommended for students taking ENGL 282)	ENGL 101	3 credits
Select one of the following: ENGL 280 - Poetry Writing or ENGL 281 - Fiction Writing or ENGL 282 - Scriptwriting or ENGL 283 - Nonfiction Writing: Memoir and Literary Journalism	For ENGL 280, 281, 282: ENGL 205 For ENGL 283: ENGL 102 or ENGL 205	3 credits

Semester 3

Course Number and Name	Prerequisites and Corequisites	Credits
Select one of the following: ENGL 280 - Poetry Writing or ENGL 281 - Fiction Writing or ENGL 282 - Scriptwriting or ENGL 283 - Nonfiction Writing: Memoir and Literary Journalism	For ENGL 280, 281, 282: ENGL 205 For ENGL 283: ENGL 102 or ENGL 205	3 credits
ENGL 285 - Portfolio Development	Two of the following: ENGL 280, 281, 282, 283 one of which may be taken concurrently	3 credits

Launch Your Career in Creative Writing

Proofreaders and Copy Markers – est. salary $58,982
Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers – est. salary $67,232– est. salary
Editors $91,015

Learn More

**EMSI Data, 2022; The greater Philadelphia region, PA; a percentage of people in these jobs may have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Career Outlook

$89,248

Median Salary of a English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

1,392

Number of Jobs in the Region

+4%

10-year Job Outlook in the Region for First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers

Featured Career

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in English language and literature, including linguistics and comparative literature. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Starting Pay: $46,727

English teacher writing on the board and smiling at the class

Typical Tasks

Prepare, rewrite, and edit copy to improve readability, or supervise others who do this work.
Verify facts, dates, and statistics, using standard reference sources.
Read copy or proof to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax.
Develop story or content ideas, considering reader or audience appeal.
Review and approve proofs submitted by the composing room prior to publication production.

Explore Related Programs

Let's Get Started

Apply

Plan a Visit

Apply for Financial Aid

Community College of Philadelphia campus with city skyline